Progressive Management Systems - Machine Guarding …

1 Progressive Management Systems - Machine Guarding Assessments Ref: C:\Workplace health and safety _general\ Guarding Information\AA Machine Guarding Capability Page 1 of 3 Many involved in industry are blissfully unaware of the potential penalties that they are at risk of receiving if they contribute to an accident even in an indirect way (currently in QLD, up to two years jail and/or $60,000 max. fine for individuals or $300,000 for companies). This contribution may be as a result of not understanding their responsibilities in providing a safe work place or equipment.

2 There are numerous standards that apply to safeguarding of machinery such as the AS4024 2014 series. More standards exist to cover many specific situations (such as Materials forming and shearing, Robots, - Milling machines, AS 1473 Woodworking machinery, AS 1893 Guillotines, AS 1755 Conveyors, AS 1319 Safety signs). Some of the specific standards do not in themselves fully cover all aspects of design of safeguarding Systems . Even if one feels they have followed the relevant standard there may well be another standard with even more rigid requirements that the designer/organisation is not even aware of.

3 The WHS Act 2011 and Regulations 2011 place obligations on Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) to ensure as far as is reasonably practicable the health and safety of the person, each of the person s workers and any other persons is not affected by the conduct of the business or undertaking. Ensuring health and safety includes the following: Providing and maintaining a safe and healthy work environment; Providing and maintaining safe plant and structures; Ensuring the safe use, handling and storage of plant, structures and substances; Provide adequate facilities for the welfare at work of workers in carrying out work on behalf of the business or undertaking, including ensuring access to those facilities.

4 Provide any information, training, instruction, or supervision that is necessary to protect all persons from risks to their health and safety arising from work carried out on behalf of the business or undertaking; and Ensure that the health of workers and the conditions at the workplace are monitored for the purpose of preventing illness or injury of workers arising from the conduct of the business or undertaking. The Queensland Work Health and Safety Act 2011 states (this is the same with Workcover and other state regulatory bodies): (3) If a code of practice states a way of managing exposure to a risk, a person discharges the person s workplace health and safety obligation for exposure to the risk only by (a) adopting and following a stated way that manages exposure to the risk; or (b) doing all of the following (i) adopting and following another way that gives the same level of protection against the risk.

5 (ii) taking reasonable precautions; (iii) exercising proper diligence. The safest way to discharge one s obligation is to be able to demonstrate that the organisation has followed a recognised standard. The organisation may choose another method of safeguarding without reference to the standards; however this is fraught with danger, as the onus will be on the organisation to prove its effectiveness. It is too late to wait until an investigation is undertaken as a result of an injury to find out that your safeguarding is not adequate. A formal, documented audit of the machinery should be undertaken to establish the level of safeguarding required.

6 This should be recorded as evidence of how the safeguarding level was established. AS4024-1 (2006 Series) provides guidance to perform a Risk assessment . A purchaser of equipment must be sure that the equipment they are purchasing, whether new or second hand is used in a manner that meets compliance with the relevant standards. A further complication is where the end user is purchasing equipment from multiple vendors that they are installing into a single installation. All the components of the system must interact efficiently and safely.

7 No individual component can degrade the level of Guarding that applies to another component or to the overall system . There are several control measures to consider when managing a risk: 1. Eliminate the risk 2. Minimise the risk 3. Where neither of the above is possible use administrative controls and appropriate personal protective equipment. Progressive Management Systems - Machine Guarding Assessments Ref: C:\Workplace health and safety _general\ Guarding Information\AA Machine Guarding Capability Page 2 of 3 Commonly minimising the risk is most appropriate.

8 Three strategies that can be applied, often in conjunction with each other, to minimise the risk are: 1. Fixed/Interlocked Mechanical barriers. 2. Safety monitoring devices (light curtains, gate switches etc). 3. Automation of the process to remove or limit operator interaction with the moving or dangerous part of the process. Safety monitoring devices will almost always have to be used in conjunction with mechanical barriers to provide adequate protection. There are many different safety devices that can be used. The complexity and cost of the devices depend on the category of the Machine being protected.

9 2014 Safety of machinery and the Performance Levels of 2014 Safety of machinery provide guidance. Both mechanical Guarding and safety monitoring devices alone are compliant costs. They do not assist in improving the output efficiency of the process and therefore have limited direct payback. Automation, whilst only a safety option when used in conjunction with the other two options, does provide the potential of improvement in the process and therefore can provide potential for payback. Machine Safety Standards Introduction All machines designed in Australia need to conform to the machinery safety standard AS4024 2014 series.

10 Many engineers know about this standard and use it when designing large and complex machines. However, in many parts of Australia it is common for smaller machines to be designed by electricians, fitters and boilermakers. While they are perfectly capable of doing this, they are often unaware of the machinery safety standard and how it directly relates to them. The following covers some of the important aspects of this standard, and has a particular focus on the electrical design. If as part of your job you design, assist with design or connect power to machines of any size (such as conveyors, pumps etc) and are unaware of this standard you should read on.